WASHINGTON (OSV News) ─ St. John Paul II "changed the Church and the world, and you can encounter that here" at the national shrine in Washington named for the Polish pope, said Grattan Brown, the shrine's director of mission and ministry.
"Here, one can encounter Christ through the life and legacy of John Paul II. We appeal to both the head and the heart," Brown said.
The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington is marking its 25th anniversary this March.
The 118,000-square-foot shrine is located in the city's Brookland section, affectionately called "Little Rome" for the many Catholic institutions located there.
Its neighbors include the Archdiocese of Washington's St. John Paul II Seminary, the Jeanne Jugan Residence operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, Capuchin College, the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, The Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
When approached with the idea of creating a cultural center in his name, Pope John Paul told organizers he wanted a place where "people come to a greater understanding of the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition and its relevance for the critical issues facing American society."
Originally established as the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, it was dedicated in 2000, during the Great Jubilee Year, and inaugurated on March 22, 2001. Then-President George W. Bush attended the dedication. Originally, it offered exhibits, talks and other special events. Later for a time, it operated as a kind of academic think tank and was open by appointment only.
In 2011, the Knights of Columbus purchased the center and renovated the structure to its present form where it offers a permanent exhibit called "A Gift of Love: The Life of St. John Paul II." It includes videos, photographs, artifacts and other displays honoring the life and legacy of the saintly pope.
Over the years, visitors to the shrine have included Pope Benedict XVI, presidents, many American cardinals and bishops, and the faithful from across the country and throughout the world.
While offering exhibits and special events, the St. John Paul II National Shrine is an important place of prayer and pilgrimage, and that includes the Redemptor Hominis Church where Mass is offered daily, and a chapel dedicated to the luminous mysteries of the rosary where a first-class relic of St. John Paul is displayed.
"Our mission has expanded and we are also a place of pilgrimage," Brown told the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington. "A pilgrimage expresses first devotion to the Lord, and this is a place honoring God’s special activity in the world."
On March 14, 2014, the U.S. bishops formally designated the center a national shrine. On April 17, 2014 ─ the day Pope Francis canonized Pope John Paul ─ the shrine hosted a live broadcast of the canonization Mass, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center officially changed its name to the St. John Paul II National Shrine.
"The shrine is a place dedicated to the cultural and intellectual legacies of Pope John Paul II. But it has also grown over the years into a place of pilgrimage, devotion and veneration," said Stephen P. White, the incoming executive director of the shrine. "St. John Paul II, like all the communion of saints, is much more than a cherished memory or a role model; he is alive in Christ, part of the living Church."
Recently the shrine purchased the Washington Retreat House next door that was formerly run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Brown said the shrine will renovate that facility and will be offering spiritual retreats there beginning around Advent.
Currently, the shrine is hosting an exhibit titled "Lord, You Could Not Love Me More! St. John Paul II and the Shroud of Turin." Continuing throughout Lent, the exhibit includes a full-scale replica of the Shroud of Turin and more than 30 gallery panels featuring the holy object's historical significance, scientific study and spiritual impact.
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Richard Szczepanowski is managing editor of the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington. This story was originally published by the Catholic Standard and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.
